Neujahrsempfang 2014 der MK-EFM CSLI auf Tenriffa

New Years Reception of MK-EFM CSLI

A report by Prof. Hans König

For the first time this New Year, the Navy Corps of the future CSLIC (Cuerpo San Lázaro Islas Canarias) met in the ancient hall of the Hotel Marquesa in Puerto de la Cruz. This, the oldest house on the square, was formerly the seat of the English merchant family the Cologans (the present-day Marquises de Candia). Alexander von Humboldt was a guest here during his stay in Tenerife in 1799.

At the Reception there were many new topics to cover. First of all our six-piece Orodine Band, in their new shoulder badges, blazer crests and naval caps, presented itself for the first time as a Navy Corps Band.

They greeted us with the ceremonial Fanfare and March of the CSLI.

After opening the session, and a short report on the listing of the CSLI as an NGO of the United Nations, I was able to present Mr. Dipl. Ing. Dieter Wessels as a new comrade. He was partnered by his pretty daughter who was on holiday on Tenerife. Sadly, he couldn’t appear in uniform, even though it had been ordered from Germany months ago. According to the company, it had been sent to Puerto in Estonia (postal code EE). I subsequently found that there is no Puerto in Estonia, so the poor uniform wanders helplessly in the cold while we are left hoping it will soon find its way to its owner.

Dieter, a long-time mining engineer in Preussag, described his interesting life and we were particularly impressed when he said: “Fate has given me so many gifts in Germany, that I wanted to return even a little to those who particularly need it”. He at first tutored for free and then joined the German Disaster and Life Saving Society, the world’s largest water rescue organization, in a managerial capacity and also as instructor and examiner. While in Magdeburg he helped in many of the Elbe floods and we were very moved by his sentiments on the recovery of bodies from the waters.

I then had the pleasure of presenting Dieter with the special class of the CSLI Humanity Medal, which he had been awarded. He was then received as a First Boatswain in the CSLI.

Next I reported on a planned visit to the German sailing training ship, Gorch Fock, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

A discussion on the MK EFM Association Newspaper followed. Some members who only speak Spanish do not understand it while some German-speaking members never receive it. Like many other problems, these remain to be resolved.

I reported on our new name, CUERPO SAN LÁZARO ISLAS CANARIAS (CSLIC), and that we expect to get approval in March along with the ‘sin fines de lucro’ (‘not for profit’) certificate. We plan to raise some funds, but with our ‘not for profit’ certificate we do save on music protection and expensive insurance for the Band (20% of the contract price for public appearances, according to a new 2014 Royal Bulletin).

All members were called on to engage with the objectives of our Navy Corps in 2014. A proposal from Kpt. z. S. Dipl. Ing. Hartmut Rust seemed to meet these values particularly well: our new band, accompanied by some of our members, could play concerts in nursing homes to bring happiness to those who are having a particularly difficult time.

A report on the CSLI Knighthood of Honour and a future Seat in the Canary Islands preceded the launch of our new march: ‘Eviva el Cuerpo Naval CSLIC’ performed by the Navy Corps Band under Bandleader Alejandro Lemus.

The official part of our New Year’s Reception ended with the sounds of ‘Bajo del Doble Aguila’ (Under the Double Eagle), and of course the ‘Radetzky March’.